Group B was a rally rule set that forced car makers to build a certain number of road versions of their race cars. Those street cars became legendary because they were basically race technology made legal for the road.
A restomod is an old car that’s been refreshed with newer parts and upgrades. It keeps the classic vibe, but aims to drive better than it did when it was new.
Group B was a rally racing class. To race those cars, the manufacturer had to make a certain number of similar road cars first, so the race car was “approved” to compete.
Concept
rest state mods
A restomod is an old car that gets modern upgrades. It keeps the classic style, but tries to make it easier and nicer to drive than the original version.
They’re basically saying that today’s new cars don’t really offer what some people want—so restomods become an alternative. It’s a “gap” in what’s available from new manufacturers.
The Chevrolet Camaro is a sporty car made by Chevrolet. It’s built to feel quick and handle well, and newer versions use more advanced suspension parts to help the ride and steering feel more controlled.
“Analog thrills” means the fun you get from older cars that feel more mechanical and less computer-controlled. The host is saying modern cars don’t always give that same raw feel.
“Flame-spitting” is when you see flames coming out of the exhaust. Older cars can do it more easily because their engine controls are less strict than many modern ones.
In car talk, “bespoke” means a one-off or highly customized build rather than a standardized production spec. The host is saying restomods can be unique enough that you can’t easily identify what exact configuration you’re looking at.
A powertrain is the car’s “go” system—engine and the parts that send power to the wheels. Restomods may replace it, so the car might not be what it originally was.
The Pagani Zonda is an extremely rare, very expensive supercar made in small numbers. The host’s point is that many have been modified, so you can’t always tell the exact version.
They’re saying the word “restomod” gets used for lots of different projects. So it can be confusing because it doesn’t always mean one specific type of build.
Eagle is mentioned as a company that was doing early “classic-but-upgraded” builds. The idea was to keep the car’s original look while improving key driving parts.
The Jaguar E-Type is a famous classic sports car from the 1960s. Here, they’re talking about keeping the original E-Type character, but improving how it drives with newer suspension and braking parts.
When people upgrade suspension and brakes on an older car, they’re usually trying to make it handle better and stop more confidently. It’s one of the biggest ways to make a classic feel safer and more modern to drive.
“Alpha-holics” is basically a nickname for people who are really into Alfa Romeo cars. The speaker is saying that Alfa fans drive up interest and prices for these cars.
Term
metal-order catalog of parts
They’re describing a parts catalog: you can buy the individual pieces you need to build or upgrade the car. The point is you might not be able to afford the most expensive material, but you can still get a similar upgrade using a cheaper material.
“Titanium bits” means small parts made from titanium. Titanium is strong and lightweight, but it costs a lot—so the speaker is saying you may not be able to afford the premium titanium version.
“Aluminium parts” are parts made from aluminum. They’re lighter than steel and usually cheaper than titanium, so they’re a common upgrade option when you want the benefits without the top price.
Term
GTARs
“GTARs” sounds like a shorthand for a certain kind of upgraded classic—basically a classic that’s been turned into a more track-focused, GT-style car. The point is you can get closer to that look and feel with parts, not just with an expensive full build.
This phrase means the car is stripped down to bare metal before it’s rebuilt. It’s the kind of work you’d expect on a very thorough, high-end restoration.
Singer is a company that takes classic Porsche 911s and upgrades them with modern engineering. People often point to Singer as a key name in the restomod world.
The host is talking about changing the car’s design—usually the body and styling—while still keeping the original character. It’s a common restomod approach: modernize the look without losing the classic identity.
The Porsche 911 is a famous sports car from Porsche, known for its rear engine and classic shape. Here, it’s mentioned as the original car Singer starts with before heavily reimagining it.
Concept
blank canvas
“Blank canvas” is a metaphor for starting with the original car’s base and then building the final result around the customer’s imagination and the builder’s engineering. In restomod culture, it highlights a process where the original platform is the foundation, not the final specification.
A gearbox is the transmission that lets the engine use the right “gear” for the situation. In a restomod, upgrading it can make the car shift better and feel more modern.
“Group A” was a racing rule set that forced race cars to be based on real production cars. When someone says “drive like a Group A,” they mean it should feel like a competition car—sharp, responsive, and built around rally-style performance.
“Show appeal” refers to how visually striking a car is in static display settings—how it photographs, stands out at events, and communicates design quality at a glance. The hosts are discussing how some restomods may prioritize craftsmanship and hidden detailing over immediate visual impact.
In car customization, “detailing” goes beyond basic cleanliness to include meticulous finishing work—fitment, surfaces, and especially the kind of work you can’t easily see. The segment contrasts visible design artistry with the deeper, labor-intensive finishing that defines high-end restomods.
“Sills” are the panels along the bottom sides of the car, near where the doors meet the body. The way they’re finished—like body color versus something else—can change how the whole car looks.
“Aftermarket” means parts that are made or sold by companies other than the original manufacturer. In this context, the host is criticizing the wheels because they still look like aftermarket replacements rather than something that matches the car’s intended period aesthetic.
The Ferrari 355 Challenge is a more track-oriented Ferrari 355. Here, the host is saying that using a similar wheel style would make the restomod look more “right” and tied together.
“Five spoke Speedlines” is a wheel design—five spokes in a particular style—that you often see on older race and performance cars. The host is saying that choosing wheels with that look would make the whole car’s style feel more consistent.
The Ferrari F355 is a supercar made by Ferrari with the engine placed behind the driver. The podcast is saying that the car’s original “355” character—especially the engine feel—is something they’re trying to keep.
A turbocharger is a device that uses the car’s exhaust to spin a turbine and push more air into the engine. More air usually means more power, but it can make the engine feel different than a naturally aspirated one.
Naturally aspirated means the engine doesn’t use a turbo or supercharger to force extra air in. It tends to feel more direct and predictable as you press the throttle.
Lock-to-lock describes how far the steering wheel turns from one end to the other. If it’s quicker (less wheel turn), the car changes direction faster when you steer.
Place
Fiorano pack
Fiorano is a Ferrari test track. Here, “Fiorano pack” is being used like a reference for a particular Ferrari configuration that affects how the car steers.
Term
R53 suspension
This refers to a specific MINI R53-era suspension setup. Suspension is what controls how the car rides over bumps and how stable it feels, and the speaker says it makes the car ride brilliantly.
Term
two stage suspension
This means the suspension can change its behavior in steps. The car can feel softer for comfort and firmer for sport driving.
Passive dampers are shocks that don’t change their settings. They can still make the ride good, but they can’t automatically switch between different driving feels.
Concept
restoration part
This is the idea that restoration isn’t just cosmetic—it’s also about making the car’s systems work correctly. In a restomod, that often means updating parts so everything fits and performs as intended.
A bulkhead is a strong wall inside the car’s body. It helps keep the structure rigid and can also help keep the cabin sealed from leaks.
Term
carbon bonded
This means carbon-fiber parts are attached using adhesive bonding. It can make the car stiffer, but it has to be done carefully so it stays strong over time.
The BMW E46 is a specific generation of the BMW 3 Series (from around the early 2000s). Here, they’re talking about an E46 that’s been restored and lightly modernized, so it still feels very close to an original, well-kept car.
“E46 Coupe” means a BMW 3 Series from the E46 generation, in a two-door coupe body style. Different body styles can drive and feel a bit differently, even within the same model generation.
In this context, “restore cars” means more than basic cosmetic refurbishment—it’s the foundation of a restomod build. The shop’s approach is to take a car through restoration while keeping it usable and driving like a factory model.
Apple CarPlay lets you connect your iPhone to the car and use certain phone apps on the car’s screen. On an older car, it can make the tech feel modern, but it might not look right with the original interior.
Period correctness means trying to keep an older car looking like it’s from its original time. If you add modern tech like CarPlay, it can make the interior look less “of the era.”
This is a Bluetooth kit (made by Parrot) that lets your phone connect to the car. It’s a way to add modern phone features to an older car without replacing everything.
A “CSL rack” is a steering component from a BMW CSL. People swap it into other cars to make the steering feel quicker and more precise.
Term
CS
“CS” here is shorthand for a BMW performance version they’re comparing to the CSL. They’re basically saying the steering setup could be chosen from different performance trims to get the feel they want.
The Alfa Romeo Giulia is a sporty-looking sedan made for people who want a fun driving feel. The podcast is talking about different ways to configure or modify it—either choosing a top performance version or doing additional work and options.
The Audi R8 is a supercar made by Audi with the engine in the middle. The podcast is saying a newer replacement is coming after Audi reveals it, and that the R8 is part of Audi’s modern supercar lineup.
An “open-gate” manual gearbox means the car uses a normal gear pattern you shift through with the stick. It’s the classic manual experience—more direct and driver-controlled than some newer shifting systems.
A manual gearbox is a car where you choose the gears yourself using a stick and a clutch pedal. Drivers often like it because it gives them more control over how the car responds.
A single plate clutch is the part that connects and disconnects the engine from the gearbox. It uses one friction disc, and that influences how smoothly (or sharply) the car starts moving when you shift.
A flywheel is a heavy spinning part that helps the engine run smoothly. It also plays a role in how the clutch connects the engine to the transmission.
“Limited run” means only a small number of cars are produced, often with special specs or customization. The host connects this to restomods and bespoke builds: fewer cars available can create access problems and drive demand toward people who already have strong buying relationships with the brand.
The Porsche Taycan is Porsche’s electric car. The host is using it as an example of how some special Porsche models may be hard to get unless you’ve already bought other popular cars.
A restomod is an older car that’s been upgraded with newer technology. The goal is usually to keep the classic look, but make it drive and feel more modern.
Car
Morgan 400R
The Morgan 400R is a Morgan roadster that blends a classic Morgan look with newer performance and engineering. It’s brought up here because it feels like it belongs in the same discussion as restomods.
An engine with “16 valves” has more valve openings controlling air and fuel flow. That usually helps the engine breathe better and can make it feel more responsive.
CVH is the name of a particular engine design. In this story, the host is saying that engine wasn’t good in the car they’re talking about, so they replaced it with something better.
“Modernising it” means taking an older car and upgrading parts so it drives better. It’s usually about keeping the vibe, but making it feel more current and easier to live with.
The “gear shift” is how the car changes gears. The host is saying the modifications are meant to make shifting smoother and less clunky.
Concept
rest day mod
A restomod is an older car that gets brought back, but with modern upgrades so it’s nicer to drive. People use different words for it, but the idea is the same: keep the classic vibe and improve the car underneath.
The Honda Integra Type R is a famous Honda performance car that fans love for how fun it is to drive. In this context, it’s mentioned as one of the cars people dreamed about, which is why they’re often the kind of car people consider modernizing or restoring.
The Acura Integra is a compact car made by Acura. The Integra Type R is a more performance-focused version, and the podcast is mentioning work done on one for a customer.
The Range Rover is a luxury SUV designed to be comfortable for everyday driving. The point in the podcast is that it can feel very different from a simpler car, mainly because it’s built to be smoother and more refined.
An Escort is a Ford compact car. The point here is that older Escorts may not have the same modern safety features, so they can feel less confidence-inspiring than newer cars.
Car
Miller Motor Cars JC9
The Miller Motor Cars JC9 is a custom project built from a Porsche supercar. The big point is that it gets a totally new body shape, not just minor tweaks.
The Porsche Carrera RS is a high-performance version of the 911. The podcast mentions it because it’s a reference for how another car might feel to drive—more like a track-style Porsche.
The Ferrari 250 GTE is an older Ferrari grand tourer. Here, the host is saying some people used it as a starting point for modifications instead of leaving it stock.
Car
GTO
“GTO” is a Ferrari performance name. The host is saying that, in the past, some owners would take a different Ferrari and modify it to look and be treated like a GTO.
The Porsche Carrera GT is a rare, high-end supercar with its engine in the middle. The point here is that its original look is already great, so it doesn’t need extra styling or modifications to be appealing.
The Lotus Esprit V8 is a Lotus sports car with a V8 engine. People loved it because it looked exotic and felt fast, so it became a famous “dream car” for a lot of enthusiasts.
Concept
Reste Mazda
“Reste Mazda” sounds like the host is talking about restomods—old cars that get brought back to good condition, but with some modern upgrades. They’re often judged as much by how carefully they’re finished as by the upgrades themselves.
A manual conversion is when a car that originally came with an automatic (or another drivetrain setup) is modified to use a manual gearbox and related hardware. In restomod culture, it’s often done to make the car more engaging, but it can be complex because you need the correct transmission, pedals, shifter linkage, and wiring/ECU integration.
This is a BMW M5 from the E60 generation. The big point here is that some owners are converting it to a manual gearbox, so it drives more like a traditional enthusiast car.
The BMW 5 Series is a larger BMW sedan meant for comfortable everyday driving. The podcast is talking about the E60 M5 and saying it didn’t come with a manual transmission, which matters to some drivers who prefer shifting gears themselves.
“Manual converted” means the car was changed to use a stick shift. That typically requires more than just adding a gear lever—it needs the right gearbox and related parts to work properly.
The C63 is Mercedes’ performance model in the C-Class lineup. The idea mentioned here is converting it to a manual, which is a big departure from what most people expect from a C63.
“Manual pedals” means the pedal setup in a stick-shift car, including the clutch pedal. If the pedals aren’t set up correctly, the car can feel awkward or wrong to drive.
This is a BMW M3 wagon from the E46 generation. People bring it up because it’s a practical body style, but it still has the kind of driving feel enthusiasts want—so it’s a good starting point for upgrades.
They’re talking about a modified Peugeot 205 GTI that Tolman builds. Instead of doing one huge change, they make small improvements to make it nicer and easier to live with.
Concept
restoration repair
“Restoration repair” means fixing an older car so it’s in good shape again. It’s the kind of work that can be expensive and time-consuming, especially when you’re trying to make the car work reliably.
Term
cooling pack
A “cooling pack” is a set of parts that help a car get rid of heat. Here, it’s mentioned as an upgrade so the air conditioning works better after restoration or modification.
Air conditioning is the system that cools the inside of the car. If you’re restoring or upgrading a car, A/C can sometimes need extra parts or updates to work properly.
They’re talking about a seat problem where the seat frame or supports wear out and the seat can collapse. The host says they found a way to rebuild the seats so they stay solid and feel more comfortable.
Term
lowering the seat height
Lowering the seat height means making the seat sit closer to the floor. That can help you get a better driving position and feel more comfortable behind the wheel.
EFI means electronic fuel injection, which is a modern way of delivering fuel to the engine. The speaker is saying their older car is being updated so it runs better and is easier to drive day-to-day.
Concept
rest of mods
A restomod is an old car that’s been updated with modern improvements. The speaker is saying some restomods are so well done they feel like top-tier supercars.
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A Ferrari that divides people down the middle.
Hello and welcome to the Evo Podcast Episode 51.
I am joined on this episode by Henry Cachepole and Sam Jenkins.
Hello.
How are you both?
We're good.
Thank you very much.
If those of you watching, we might be a little bit in the dark
because we have a power cut.
But by the magic of a rather large battery,
we will push on through this episode, Resto Mods.
Good, bad, or couldn't care less.
You've done pretty much all kinds of variety, shapes, flavors.
Henry, what a Resto Mod man.
I feel like they kept me in a job for the last 34 years.
So I'm definitely good from that perspective.
Yes, for far as the mortgage man is concerned.
But what's your, what is a, what actually is a Resto Mod?
When does it become a Resto Mod?
What's, what is it?
I think sort of, again to that,
I was sort of thinking in terms of almost the broader,
where do they sit in terms of the good, bad, or indifferent?
I think they've kind of got to be seen as good.
And for me, they've really taken on a lot of the role
that super cars perhaps had in other areas.
So that's the thing, they are these aspirational things,
very aspirational and a lot of cases,
which is a massive problem with a lot of them,
which I totally get and don't necessarily like,
but then viewed as these very limited things
that sort of are, they're dream cars, aren't they?
And I think that that's very much how I view a lot of it.
And the things that the manufacturers might want to do,
but in a lot of cases can't do,
and they're certainly filling a huge gap in the market
that I think people want filled with sort of these very analog cars,
throwback cars, but sort of, yeah, it's the analog side of it,
which really captured people's imagination
and why they've been so successful.
It's interesting you mentioned sort of plugging that gap
sort of super cars and the way they're priced.
They're not, you know, the very top ones are all seven figures plus,
which is where my car territory is, isn't it?
But they're very analog.
They are offering what a modern hypercar can't offer.
And do you think that's where they've,
those that are manufacturing them, creating them,
that's the market they're going for.
They've got a client base who are,
I can buy anything, but I don't have something more analog.
Maybe it's a base on an older car from a dream car and stuff.
Is that the sense, is that what they're creating now
when they're taking commissions?
Because a lot of these cars are one-offs, aren't they,
or very, very low production?
Yeah, I mean, certainly it seems to me,
I feel like 25 is around the number that get produced.
I think there are a few things in play in terms of,
a lot of them, obviously, heart-back to eras that we've sort of seen
with sort of people going,
oh, well, I love one of those because that's what I really like to my youth.
But actually, I wanted to drive, you know,
considerably better than that.
And to me, it's always that slight thing of,
you looked at the Group B homologation cars
and you actually drove the road version
and you had the sort of flame spitting,
sort of image in your head.
It's not quite that.
Sort of, you know, water roll and toven
and sort of, you know, through the crowds
and you think this is just going to be,
and it's not quite there and it's sort of,
that's what almost the rest of the mods are doing
and bringing the original car up to that,
sort of up to your expectations.
And that usability, isn't it, as well?
As you say, those homologated Group B cars,
well, they built them because they had to,
but there was no concession to,
oh, someone might want to drive this on the road.
No.
And then you can't access that sort of performance
that you imagined from seeing them on a stage.
Yeah.
We're old enough, Sam, to know these cars
when they drove them when they were new,
some of the cars that are now subjects of rest state mods.
But from your sort of background
and sort of age group of seeing modern supercars
and hypercars, but also rest state mods
based on what you would consider classic cars.
Yeah.
What's your view on, sort of, view on them?
Are you, you know, just by,
why would you buy something based on an old car?
By a hypercar, or is there something that appeals
to the younger generation?
I think, as Henry says, they fill a gap
that doesn't exist in the current new car market.
So you get some of the really high tech
sophisticated suspension tech
in, I think, Camaro do a lot of that stuff.
But then you also get the analog thrills
of an older car.
They are flame-spitting, crazy things
that you just can't get that in a modern new car.
So they're very interesting things to have around.
But from the perspective of someone
that hasn't driven a single one,
and you very rarely see them beyond, you know,
a good reversal of speed,
they feel very, very out of reach.
You know, even for, you know, supercars,
you see around, and they're relatively attainable,
you know, hundreds of thousands as opposed to millions.
But some of these cars, they build one or two of them.
And then when you do see one,
you don't necessarily know what you're looking at
because each one is kind of a bit bespoke
and they might put a different powertrain in it.
It's like my issue with Pagani Zondas,
is that because everyone converts them out,
you don't know what you're looking at.
It could be a 760 with its next bodywork.
Yeah, exactly, same.
But yeah, that's my only issue,
but they are fantastic things to look at,
and I'm sure to drive.
So, yeah, they're good things to have.
Where do we think it all started then?
Resto Mods.
And also, we spoke about this earlier as well,
because Resto Mod is probably the wrong term, isn't it?
Because that is a catch-all.
Yeah, we need to come back to that whole what is a Resto Mod,
because is it roof originally potentially?
Yeah, exactly.
They've been doing it for a long time
in terms of modifying a car,
but then is it the restoration and modification
or modernization of a car has such a broad remit now?
And I sort of think that's a...
I think Eagle were probably the ones
I originally think of as doing it in a way,
and before they did the specials.
Before they did all the lovely low-drag stuff.
They were doing E-types,
exactly like an original E-type,
but just with upgraded suspension and brakes,
and sort of air conditioning or whatever,
to just make it a car that you wanted to take
on a European road trip,
and some stopped a bit quickly in front of you.
You knew it was going to...
To do that sort of romantic road trip,
but with some modern bits, as you say.
The best possible E-type, I think,
is what you're thinking about.
And so not very much staying true to the character
of the original car,
but just in the places where it needed tweaking.
Making it a car you would want to use.
It makes it usable as well,
which is the other thing with a lot of these cars, isn't it?
They've started because they weren't very good
in that they had compromises in the first place.
And then if you're going to go to the lens of fixing that,
you might as well do this,
and then you could add some bespoke stuff to it.
Or I want it to go faster, actually.
I don't want to buy...
If it's in Porsche territory, I don't want to buy an RS,
but I still want something to go quicker and better.
And that's where some of our alpha-holics,
which came from a different approach,
which was their racing motorsport sort of background
of just improving the road cut,
which had to compromise.
But then they've gone on to make very bespoke models
within their own portfolio and brand, haven't they?
Because they could offer it,
they offered all the parts, which they still do.
And it's one of the things I really like to say.
From the perspective of all these cars,
I'm ridiculously expensive in alpha-holics.
Amongst them have gone up and in value
every time I drive another one.
It seems to have added a lot of rounds.
Exactly, yeah.
But with them, at least,
there's that feeling of,
well, you can still buy an old alpha.
And actually, they do all the bits.
They do all the parts,
because that's where it started.
They're a metal-order catalog of parts.
So you think, right, well, I can't afford the titanium bits,
but I can have the aluminium parts.
Yeah, that's a really interesting thing.
They're all all these upgrades are available.
So you can get, actually, to be honest,
quite a long way towards one of their GTARs,
because with parts that you can buy.
And I think that's a really nice thing,
because it makes it still feel attainable and accessible
to the vast majority of this,
whereas we might not be able to afford one of the ones
where they've taken it all back to their metal
and built it up and done all the work
and been bespoke,
but you can get some of the way there.
And it is that sort of,
I suppose it's that complete car solution,
sort of all end product.
That's where the Resto Mods thing came in,
which came in probably,
you sort of obviously Eagle did it with that first special,
as it were, and then Singer came along,
which is obviously the name that most people would associate
with the sort of the start of the Resto Mod.
And again, it's that redesign,
which was in the Eagle,
it was a different body that kept so much of the original,
but generally updated.
And that's the thing that we've seen,
then continue on and on with on manufacturers
to the point where now you feel like the old car
is almost an inconvenience,
but they have to kind of, it's sort of an inconvenience,
but also a convenient thing
because they can change so much of it,
but keep them in, which is quite handy.
Yes, very gets around quite a few bits of legislation, doesn't it?
But yeah, they're just sort of going back to Singer,
they are the kind of the,
when they appeared on the scene early 2000s,
and that's when it sort of became a much bigger
realisation and awareness that people were doing this
and those that were doing it before,
whether it was our Pollux, Eagle,
Roof obviously taking brand new chassis,
but building sort of modified Porsches,
but always offering the same service all the way through,
never sort of stopping when each generation came on.
But Singer was, this is what we're doing,
and this is where we're heading,
and they went down that path,
and then seemingly everyone followed them.
And it was that, it was the name as well, wasn't it?
It was still very much the original car name
with X company that had added these bits on
or changed it or whatever,
but it was very much the original,
we're still the heart of the car,
whereas Singer, as we know,
we say it's a Porsche 911, reimagined that thing,
it's got in all sorts of water,
but it was because suddenly this brand
had become big in its own right,
it was a thing rather than being the original
that had been modified, I think.
And I think they showed as well, wasn't it,
that the car was the blank canvas,
it was down to your imagination,
working with the team,
with Rob very sort of imaginative bloke
with loads of ideas, you can go to,
and you can just say, this is what I'm thinking,
and work with them and create something very bespoke,
and they would find,
everything was finding a solution to what they wanted,
rather than what's available,
and if it wasn't available, we'd design it
and get it manufactured.
And again, it was one of those things that it wasn't the one-off,
people had been doing that sort of thing,
we'd seen hot rods, and I guess Walker had been doing
his cars and things like that,
but to have it all wrapped up in this offering,
this is now a product,
it's not a one-off,
this is what we're offering,
which was new, I think.
Yeah, and what they've gone on,
of how they've evolved, and not reinvented themselves,
but clearly have looked at,
well, what else is possible,
the collaborations they've done on powertrains,
and aerodynamics, and to your point Sam,
on suspension, and gearboxes, and brakes and stuff,
they've just become more and more bespoke,
but also, more and more, that's what a singer is, isn't it?
It is now a whole package.
It's a new product in itself.
Everything on it is just available in that car.
I mean, it does probably mean
that a plain 964 Carrera is the rarest 911 on the planet,
but they have created their own sort of entity, haven't they?
They are, and now others have followed them,
but still do something quite differently.
I don't feel like that many companies have replicated
what a singer have done to that level, really,
until maybe a few years ago,
when a Camaro, a Maturo, popped up,
but not many people have really done the same thing.
It's quite impressive.
Yeah, now I'm just taking another one,
because they've done that with Porsche,
with BMW, or Ferrari,
no one's quite had the same...
Yeah, they've Maturo with the integrales,
and the A3 7s, and stuff.
Wonderful cars, but they haven't gone to the same extent
as what the singer has done,
but they've gone very similar to what others have done,
that it's modernizing and improving upon
what was the original formula,
rather than reinventing that formula.
I think one of the reasons it is fascinating
is that there is no one formula for it.
So they've all got their rational desires behind it
for what they want to do.
I would say it was more...
I imagine it's the style led potentially.
I'm not saying I don't drive wonderfully,
but if you had to pick an area,
if you're picking the spotted diagram,
I think it's the attention to detail
with the interiors and the exterior look of the whole thing.
It felt like that's what makes them so special,
which is, again, one of the reasons they appeal so quickly,
because you don't have to drive one to instantly think,
wow, that looks...
They are spectacular.
Yeah, they are cars that are spectacular static
and just as a form to have on them.
Whereas you look at the Maturo,
and it's quite difficult to spot,
oh, hang on a minute, we've got the three-door,
they've changed that,
and they've kept much more to the original feel of the car
and gone down the whole,
well, we want it to drive like a Group A,
because that came from the basis of them knowing
what the Group A rally cars drove like
and sort of going, well, hang on a minute,
the road car doesn't really live up to that,
so why can't we make a road car version of the Group A rally car,
which is what they've done and is brilliant to that extent,
but it's much harder, I think, from a visual...
On the page or on film or whatever to capture instantly.
Wow, this is very different.
Yeah, that curbside or show appeal
is perhaps there in others, is it?
Because it's not a design sort of work of art,
which is the detailing on the singer is everything
from external and everything you can't see.
And again, Eagle.
Yeah, Eagle is a similar thing.
They just stopped you.
You knew it wasn't an original E-Type,
and you knew that it was still absolutely,
it would be even more gorgeous than the original.
They're like a piece of jewelry.
So I think the Camaro as well.
Yep.
Yes, dry sprinting, but it's got that,
it's tapped into that.
What's interesting, I saw the 039 at the Death's Day the other week,
which is sort of they're moving away from their origins.
And actually it looks...
There's clearly Camaro sort of DNA in it,
but it looks completely different to the 037s
because it is more bespoke and it's more of them.
And it's quite a brave step.
They've gone, they've taken even more sort of
than I should beat in Monte Carlo.
They're more than much left in it.
And going to Koenigsegg for an engine,
that again becomes maybe closest to what singer have done,
of them creating their own thing.
And part next to them is the guys from Totem with the GTA,
which again, creating their own thing,
going further beyond what may be alcohol.
If you saw an Alphaholic Sky,
you think, oh, could that be a period competition car
breathed on and then you've got the other extreme
of carbon bodies and wider tracks and stuff.
So there's that sort of growth area in more bespoke cars
to start with.
Yeah, it kind of brings you into the...
I suppose the two cars are in the latest issue.
Should be about time to go back to that.
Which is the petrol E46 M3 Touring
and the Eviluto 355.
Yes, two very different approaches, I think.
And in terms of the looks,
I think the Eviluto is so funny,
because it divides absolutely down the middle.
A Ferrari that divides people down the middle.
I mean, for at least a week.
Exactly, yeah.
People going, it looks incredible.
I love it.
I think a lot more people after the Ferrari Zencar.
So we've gone back and got my Pepsi wasn't that bad.
Everything was fine.
I'm pretty good job.
But because the original was so pretty,
you're almost done hiding to nothing.
I think the red car that you've driven for us
looks more considered and better than that original blue car.
But as you say, it's such a beautiful canvas
to start with, why would you?
I think there were a couple of things for me
that you, because I spent all time driving it.
I drove it up in Scotland and weirdly on its own
in the middle of the Cairngorms,
signs it looked absolutely incredible.
Other times actually parked up and like so.
Other things were like, oh, hang on it.
I'm not sure that quite works.
And I think for me, the carbon surround to the grill
at the front, I think you get where they've done it
because we want to show we've got carbon on it.
So what are we going to do?
Well, let's put that on there.
But it just didn't quite work for me.
The same with the sills and kind of put those all in body colour.
And then the wheels, which still look very aftermarket.
I think if you put a set of five spoke speed lines
like the 355 Challenge have.
Yeah, yeah, to sport style.
Put those on there, go really quite sort of,
you know, probably painted black or something,
which sounds like I'm doing it bad,
but not as a gray or something.
But I think then you would get towards the sort of 355
speciality that never was.
Yeah, that's what you want these cars to be, really.
Exactly.
And I think with a couple of tweets,
it could kind of reach that status because it is all,
feels like it's all there,
but it was a few things that just kind of perhaps jarred
on that car that I think if you put those wheels on it,
definitely then it would kind of tie the whole thing together.
And I think, right, that's good.
It is the wheels for me.
It does just look slightly aftermarket, as you say,
which isn't necessarily what you want from these cars.
Maybe some people do, but yeah, not me.
But that's the perfect point.
You want to create,
it's opportunity to create something that the factory never
did at the time, but now it does it on a regular basis
with the model derivative.
Each model line is, here's a challenge for Dali,
here's a speciality, here's a scooter.
Here's a Pista and so on.
And when the first car isn't like that,
then it's the opportunity to do it.
Perhaps someone will.
What was it like to drive?
What was, because they upgrade a substantial amount later?
Yeah, it was great.
It was fabulous to drive and still felt very Ferrari.
I think a lot of it, due to the gearbox,
as soon as you put it into first, it's that not perfect kind
of open gated manual, but you couldn't be in anything.
And they haven't done,
they've been pretty restrained in a lot of respects.
They've really tried to keep the Ferrari 355 DNA in there.
The engine, you look at it, well, it's 10% more power
and torque, they haven't given it,
they haven't gotten total momentum,
they've sort of given it turbochargers
and made it something it wasn't.
So they've been very considered in terms of keeping it analog
and not giving it huge amounts of power and keeping it
that sort of wonderful naturally aspirated engine.
So it sounds terrific.
But the steering is way best.
That was always the thing that for me, I remember anyway,
that 355 steering wasn't the best really.
And they've made it a lot quicker.
So I think it was 3.25 times lock to lock
in the original 2.75 in a Fiorano pack.
And this is two locks a lot.
But it's beautiful steering, really lovely.
And it is one of those cars that you just,
it's not spectacular to drive until you not feel like you're
trying to hang on to it.
But the more you get into it, you just, the miles pass
and you realise how much you're engaged in it
and enjoying it and sort of, and, you know,
Fabulous R53 suspension in there.
So it rides brilliantly.
It's not sort of, which it almost feels like a step back
because the original obviously had, you know,
the two stage suspension.
So you can switch it between comfort and sport.
Whereas this is just passive dampers, but they work.
But yeah, the technology back then
of switching between comfort and sport
compared to what a passive damper can be today
and the range and the reach of them, you'd want that.
So they've sort of updated, sympathetically,
the powertrain and the bits of late 90s
or mid 90s Ferrari that perhaps wouldn't work
rhyming electronics and stuff.
Which is what you want, isn't it?
It's like that's the restoration part, isn't it?
And they've done a huge amount of, again,
I think it's one of the things you kind of,
it's easy to underestimate the sheer amount of work
that they've put into it in terms of sort of,
you know, it's all new suspension under there
that they remanufactured to make it better
and work with the wheels and the whole chassis
has been strengthened in the places that needed
to be strengthened and sealed and bulkhead
and sort of carbon bonded into it and stuff like that.
So there's a huge amount of work.
There's a lot of work.
In there for sort of in some ways
what feels like sort of, you know,
it's not marginal gains because it is a big, big leap on.
But it's, yeah, it's a tricky one to that extent.
But yeah, it's great, great strife.
And the other rest, well, is it a Resto mod?
The other car you drove for us this month.
Is it a Resto mod? Is it a...
So this is the BMW, yeah.
That's the, it's probably the...
Of all the ones I've driven,
it's probably the least Resto mod.
I suppose it depends whether you mean,
the mod bit means modification or modernization.
I think modernization is what tends to be kind of taken as...
Yeah, this is the E46.
This is the E46, yeah, done by Petrol,
which is, it's a really bizarre thing to be in
because you get into it and you look at it
and it feels like just being in the most sort of perfect E46.
A Restored E46 Coupe.
E46, and then you look in the rearview mirror
and kind of, oh, hang on a minute, that's back.
But even so, it's so well done
that you just think you've entered a slightly alternate reality
where it's kind of sort of this car should have always existed.
And there's nothing else to sort of say
this shouldn't have existed, do you know what I mean?
It's sort of...
Yeah, it feels unnatural.
Because I saw the concept of BMW made.
Yeah, they made one.
They made one, it was an event I was at.
And you look at it and think,
why did you not make this car?
Yeah, and they have literally sort of taken all that
and just gone, this is what we're going to do.
And they've, because they've done it out of carbon fiber,
partly because it was just fun
because they used to working with sort of E-types.
Because they're a restoration company, aren't they?
That's their specialism.
That's what they do.
And it was at the owner who just...
Yeah, love D46s
and kind of had this idea.
I think children,
they all came along and kind of, you know,
the coupé wasn't really doing it anymore.
So it was an after hours kind of project, basically.
And he didn't do it as a,
we're going to make lots.
He said, I kind of had to say to him kind of like,
lovely guy, great.
You know, people are going to...
You think people are like, yes,
yes, I really do kind of, you know, it's...
Because it's not cheap, but it's what...
No.
It's the same price as an M5 touring.
Absolutely.
Or an M3 CS touring.
Yes, it's not cheap.
In the world of Resto mods,
it's very much at the sort of the more affordable end.
And it does feel like a new car.
And he said, well, it's our bread and butter.
So we restore cars.
So that's...
So it is just designed to drive like a standard M3.
Just a perfect boxfresh M3.
Exactly.
And obviously, you know, knows the...
All the problems at the rear end of the car,
whether rotso, obviously correct all that
and make sure that's fixed and any bits and bobs.
But it's, you know, the interior,
I think was the thing that really threw me,
because that's the thing I was so used to seeing
in Resto mods updates here,
even if it's just Apple CarPlay,
put on a screen in the car,
which you see in Porsche, obviously,
now in all the...
You know, there's a thing you can just...
On the original screen, actually.
But this had the original graphics on there.
It's just a bit...
It's just all the squitch here.
It was brand new.
It's a lovely interior.
So that's the real sort of thing.
Man alive, I kind of can't...
And I almost sort of couldn't work out
whether you would want to put Apple CarPlay,
because it would sort of pop the bubble,
sort of wouldn't be back in, you know, 2001 or whatever.
Yeah.
Well, do you go off the time and have a phone mount,
which is...
That'll be beyond you.
Fear of before.
I mean, your phone was integrated into the car seamlessly.
We'll put a Parrot Bluetooth system in it.
Oh, wow.
Yeah.
Wow.
Yeah, little thing up there.
Exactly.
And did that drive like a coupe,
like a touring, a bit between?
It drove to all intents and purposes,
like a coupe, like...
A46.
Yeah.
Like an A46 still has that slight sort of...
You then can't help but think of all the things...
He's done it to be exactly what it would have been.
Yeah.
But you can't help but think, oh, I just...
You could have tweaked this.
I'll just have the CSL rack in there,
just to kind of because it was better, basically,
and like the CS, I suppose.
Yeah, you put some CS bits in there rather than...
Yeah, exactly.
Or maybe that's the carbon air box in there,
just to make it kind of bring that along.
That's what everyone knows.
That's the business model.
That's the next.
Absolutely.
He's already unveiled sort of somebody's come to him
and said he wants a full CSL version of it.
CSL.
So it must be a worry...
Yeah.
Before manufacturers,
because BMW sells an M3 CS Touring current car,
which is the same price as the A46,
but the chapter he's gone along and said,
make me a CSL Touring.
I don't know, you might have a CS Touring already,
but I'm not spending that much money on a new car.
It's a series production car.
I want something more bespoke,
and that must be a concern for some OEMs
who have these cars at the same price,
but some would rather cherry-pick the options on the
Alphaholics menu rather than by Giulia Quadrifoglio
or have some work done on a 911.
Well, it did make me think about Ferrari again,
sort of what they must be having at a certain rate
of existential crisis even before what we've seen recently.
But what are they going to produce in the future?
It feels like we've reached some sort of end game
with supercars and what people want,
and they can't necessarily offer
what the RestoMod companies are offering,
or can they?
Or are they going to become a company
that becomes a legacy company
effectively and starts going back into their...
dipping back in the back catalog
and doing what the RestoMod companies are doing,
but just officially, is that what we've come to?
Well, I think there's stuff on the horizon
that this would be out far before the embargo.
But yes, some of the manufacturers,
what they're doing is exactly that,
of what we can't watch these customers drift away
and spend what they would spend with us with someone else.
They're still buying some of our product,
but not as much as they did.
So what do they want?
They want different transmissions,
they want different engines,
or they want different body styles,
or they want windows of 599
become eligible for Class-E to be restored.
But actually, while you're restoring it,
could you put a manual in it?
Because you didn't offer it at the time,
but what can you do now?
There's the company in Podon
sticking manual gearboxes in Mercedes-Benz Argos,
I think it is, isn't it?
And that's where the money is,
and that's where the customers is.
OEMs must be thinking what we need to be part of this.
We're recording this the day,
well, the day before,
but this will come out after Audi shows its new R8 replacement,
but that's very much a modern supercar.
But you can't think for them,
there's also an opportunity,
when do they start reselling
recommissioned original R8s
with the V8 and a manual open-gate gearbox
with side blades and stuff like that?
It's an interesting time in that market
because it is a lot of money,
and those people with that money
want to buy what they want
rather than what they think others want.
It must be so confusing for a manufacturer,
you're used to, we'll do it,
and you look forwards,
it must be the next thing,
the new technology,
the sort of, you know, why would,
it must be a real retrograde step
to start going backwards and producing.
I must just drive them around the twist,
so hang on, we can do this,
and you want that,
you want that manual gearbox
and that naturally aspirated engine,
and I don't care if it's a bit noisy
and it's a bit rattly,
you put a single plate clutch in it
as well and flywheel and all that.
I mean, it's probably just as well,
Porsche with a 911 R
did it when they did
because it was sort of,
they hadn't gone so far
beyond ditching the manual,
they couldn't come back
and look how successful it's been.
Porsche, the closest to have done this,
they've realised actually
we're losing a lot of the audience
to others.
We need to start offering
more bespoke cars,
it means there's more limited run cars
which causes them problems with
oh, you can't get ahold of one
unless you've bought a million Taycans and stuff,
but it does mean these cars are,
whether it's GC3 SC,
Cable A or whether it's GC3 RSs
and STs and things,
it's created,
that's kind of their own
Resto mod,
where there's limited run
very bespoke components
that you can't get on a series car,
and that's the appeal, isn't it?
The other thing I think is kind of quite
interesting in the whole
sort of Resto mod category
is more and more,
they're not lumped in with them,
probably they're very pleased about it
to some extent,
but also you feel like
they might want some of the
reflected glory
is companies like,
or particularly Morgan
and Coachman.
That's, you know,
suddenly, you know,
Morgan, you look at it and you think,
well, hang on a minute,
this is a Resto mod there.
Well, the Super Sport,
James has just driven the 400R
and I was reading it and it's like,
this is in sparse,
so this looks like a classic
Morgan, modernised,
and it's got a even more potent bit.
And how much is it?
It's a hundred and something,
I don't know how did the internet
on me have to say.
Absolutely, but again,
as we say, you find a lot of money,
but in Resto mod world.
It's nothing.
It's an option.
And you can, you know,
that's the most expensive one
you can have of those at the moment.
So it's sort of...
And Morgan has always offered,
I think there's,
it'd be one of those companies,
isn't it?
There probably isn't
two Morgans alike,
because every Morgan is ordered
as a bespoke special purchase
by customers,
so you have that uniqueness as well.
But yeah,
you must think,
oh, yeah,
we've been doing this for years.
Exactly.
And then you've got sort of,
I mean,
different again,
but sort of MST
with the...
Well, I was going to ask you,
did the Escorts and
Aura Motorworks
with the run of 10
Mart 1 Escorts,
are they,
are they Resto mods?
No, they're restoration restored cars,
or new chassis cars,
but with modern stuff on it.
Yeah.
So they've kind of gone down the,
yeah,
MSTs are a weird one
and seems again,
very good value,
sort of the fact that they,
they've skipped the step,
which is such a pain
for so many companies
in terms of they don't have
to take an old car
and spend all the time
stripping it down,
working out what's rusted away
and what they've got to repair,
what isn't,
doesn't fit from sort of a,
hang on a minute,
we bought a 1981 here
and that's completely different
to the 1982 one over here
that it's meant to be exactly the same.
Hang on a minute,
oh, we've got to spend all this time.
Yeah, they've got,
it's fine,
here are the bits bolted on
and down there,
which is why it can be
so much more affordable
than so many of the others.
Yeah.
Born as an interesting one,
because it's obviously got
manufacturer backing,
you know,
it's got proper Ford stamp of approval.
You've under how long
before Ford think
we could do this
within our entire back catalog?
Absolutely.
Why wouldn't they?
Yeah.
Whether it's
a lot of money to be made.
If you think that,
you know,
of all the escort,
you know,
you're rallying hat on.
All the escorts,
you know,
just mark one and twos
would be
Yeah.
hundreds of cars
of different derivatives
and different specs
you can do it in.
Yeah.
We'll look at
and it's with ProDrive,
with P25,
isn't it?
that was an,
that's an interest,
wasn't it?
Because they're taking
a car that is already
amongst enthusiasts,
hugely popular.
Those two door
RA
in presses
and then
cutting them up
and to create
P25.
And I think you'd be torn
if you had both.
Well, which one?
Do you want one?
Want both really?
Because the P25
is just
today's version
of
Yeah.
C-car.
It was such a
step on
such again,
it was a
such a creation
over and above anything
that's really
existed
from there
because of the
the power shift.
And again,
the fact it was
ProDrive doing it
added such a
kudos
to it
because it's
that's the name that you want
to be producing.
Yeah.
Sort of
HWA
again,
another one.
They're their own
products aren't they?
And it's kind of
Yeah.
They're similar in vain
to Roof that we saw
on the HWA, isn't it?
Yeah, they are.
We're doing the work.
It's our car.
They can build.
Can they build up
to
1500s or so?
So the legislation
they've gone through
kind of which has been
again, I think
kind of one of those things
that has been
they wanted to do it
because it's a stamp of
approval
and it shows that they're
not two guys in a shed
putting something together.
It is kind of
it's but equally
it does come with
some restrictions
that they might not
particularly like overall
but
but yeah,
and it's this vast
difference.
It's been fascinating
driving all this
and often visited
most of the sort of
of the factories
sort of factories
the kind of is
overselling it with some
some terms
and that that's it
you sort of you go to
is it
a couple of people
in a barn
on a farm
that's diversified
sort of somewhere
making these things
or is it something
like
you know pro drive
where it's sitting alongside
race cars or HWA
you know these
these huge
companies that are
turning them out
incredibly quickly
and again
sometimes you drive a car
and it's the first one
and you know we've got
plans for
X number more
you go to pro drive
and
well that's bill number 18
24
and they know exactly
where they all
are
in the line
and we have to have
these out here
because we've got
that race car coming down
this bit of the battery
kind of in
you know
in three weeks time
exactly yeah
so it's kind of this
totally different
sort of
mindset to
all of them
but even though
the set ups are different
you know from a
pro drive set up
HWA set up to
the smaller bespoke
not cottage industry
because that's doing them down
but it's still
you can
there are lots of money
these cars but you can
actually see where
every penny is going
cause it's the
expertise
and the time
of going into
and the materials
I think that's often lost
in
the materials used
and the details used
in creating these things
a manufacturer
and OEM couldn't do it
cause there'd be an accountant
saying well
does it work
so we don't do
our unit price is this
we're not having that
but they have that option
to do it
but everything though
volume is expensive
but
you are getting
a piece of mechanical
analogue
engineering aren't you
in these cars
and even the bits
you can't see
you just know
that every
mount
every engine mount
gearbox
mount
suspension mount
is a
someone's sort of
sweated over it
to make sure it's
the best it could be
from
even to the aesthetics
someone's going to
see this
if it looks good
it will be good
and it doesn't matter
if anyone can't see it
and so many of them
are passion projects
and it's
yeah
well I think
the
sort of the one
that came up this week
as you talk about
passion projects
is the
Tolman
mark 4
s4x
r3i
oh yeah
I think that shows
the passion
for
people wanting those
cars from their youth
I mean I had one
and it was
this is an original by the way
the one that Ford
spent millions
well I don't think
they used to
spend any money on it
which is why it was so
precious
so I'm fascinated
to drive that
Tolman car
because that's
they put the 16 valve
engine in the Z-Tech
to get rid of the
horrible CVH
that
should never have seen
the light of day
but it'd be fascinating
to see
how far they've gone
I think
it's
it's modernising it
it's
it's
fixing the gear shift
so it's not
sort of stirring a
wooden speed
a bowl of
banana custard
and it's
you know
making sure that
the AVS
it works
and it's not how it used to be
which was a bit of a lottery
when they were new
and if it rained
well you were just on your own
and
but I think that's
it's
it goes to that
passion of what
car people just
want to
enjoy stuff
and everyone always enjoys
a different car
and
if you want
if you want to have a
rest day mod
you don't have to spend
seven
figures on a car
and
and
sort of
not be able to drive it
or it doesn't get seen
it takes years to build
you can
you can
there's people out there
who will
whether you called it
a rest day mod
whether it's modernisation
or modifying
you're just improving
on cars that
for a lot of people
were
poster cars
and dream cars
it's an E46N3 touring
or an XR3i
or they told me
did the
Integra Type R
for a client
which was a one-off
but
if it keeps these cars
on the road as well
and keeps someone
passionate about it
I think it's
it's that
this excitement
that sort of drives
everyone with
with cars isn't it
it makes them way more
valuable
to own
because I mean in the day
that
escort
I'm sure
because everything was
of a certain level
wasn't it
that was in particularly low level
yeah
well yeah
but you know
every car you drive
would be
the ABS might not be
it would be up to modern standards
but now
if you daily drive
a Range Rover
and then jump in your escort
as a nice weekend car
the contrast there
it's going to be
a bit of a shock
you're probably not
going to want to drive
it too far
because it will feel so
the difference
will be so drastic
by having it be
properly usable
and feel safe
at least
it's definitely
well that's the reason
you
men of a certain age
some women
but they're not as stupid
as men
we've gone round
I'm going to buy that hot hatch
I always wanted
when I was younger
or I had one when I was younger
but it was a shit one
so I'm going to get
a good fully restored one
and then as you say
they get out of their daily driver
whether it's an M car
or a Range Rover
or whatever
and that
breaks a bit surely
and it's a bit noisy
and that doesn't
we haven't got that anymore
so
they want that
aesthetic
and that look
but we do want a few
reassuring creatures
comfortably
working brakes
engines that sound nice
and reverent stuff
and I think
the whole
comparing it
to the original thing
so many of the people
that
have the money
to buy
a restored one
they've got an original
on the outside
it's not a
again it's that
and I still struggle with it
sort of this
getting your head around
having that amount of money
sort of to be able to afford
one
instead of thinking
no this is not a
instead of
instead of exactly
it is
you know
in particular that sort of
evolution I was thinking
because there was something
strange about
that in terms of
you
haven't much you sort of
you know even
perhaps the most extreme
of the Porsche
rest of us
something like the Gunther Works
it's still a Porsche
somehow
it's still
whereas as soon as you do
anything to a Ferrari
instead of almost
if it's not classic
it's not a Ferrari anymore
it's outside
you know you've been
pushed out of the family
this is sort of
it's no longer
so you'd almost feel like
you'd have to own
an original
so you felt like
you owned a Ferrari
because if you owned
an Ivaluto version of it
you don't own a Ferrari
which is a very
sort of
I don't quite know
why that is
I assume it must be something
to do with the
sort of attitudes
of the
original manufacturers
but it's
yeah it's
as you say
it's
certain brands
it loses
that original
identity doesn't it
but others are like
whether it's a roof
or it's sort of a Porsche
yeah exactly
but it's a roof
it's very true
is there a car
that you wish someone
hadn't restored
or did
that should have just
been left to lay
that someone has
tried to get you to drive
trying to think of ones
that come across our desk
and we've sort of just
parked and
I mean well this week
a few days ago
a company called
Miller Motor Cars
I believe in America
they've just revealed
their JC9
which is based
on a Porsche Carrera GT
which feels like
a bold car
to completely
transform into
it looks a bit like
a modern 917
it's a completely
re-bodied
that's
yeah that
doesn't feel right
it feels a bit wrong
to me
yeah
I mean are they
I get it
probably less so now
but there was a period
where people would buy
a 250 GTE
the Unloved
yes
and make a
GTO or a short wheel base
out of it
and that was kind of accepted
well no one likes
no one's going to buy
this 250
so tomorrow's going to turn into something
that people will
admire and appreciate
but
it starts if people look at
a Carrera GT
and go
no don't like that
no one is thinking that now
that's quite an expensive
starting
point
is there a price
I mean that's
there's no price attached to it
two to 3000000
buy-in just to have a
as a donor car
yeah
I mean I suppose
Porsche did produce
obviously quite a few
Carrera GTs
but
relatively speaking
from
that sort of thing
but yeah that's
I mean
I drove a Carrera GT
in the last year
it was the first time
in ages I'd driven
and I could not believe
just how good it was
I know just
what everyone's going to say
yeah it was
incredible
yeah
absolutely incredible
I think that's a car
that you could launch today
and so
that's a brand new car
you absolutely could
it's
I remember driving it
on the launch
and think
where's this come from
it's one of the cars
that genuinely
sort of like
thinking back to it now
and
I was incredibly kind
and sort of
said go for your life
kind of
just drive it
enjoy it
sort of
which is exactly what
you want to be told
with it
and
just basically
a small thing about it
it's like
you're happy place for it
go to your happy place
if you're thinking about
driving a Carrera GT
but it wouldn't have been
better if it was
dressed up like a nice car
no absolutely not
there's nothing kind of
you know
it does not need that
it's kind of
yeah it looked
fantastic
kind of
as it was
I know it's never
the most
extrovert
but that suits me
and it's the ground
it was
you know silver over
tight it was perfect
just incredible
with that engine
and yeah
I mean to be fair
Porsche
re-commission
um
Carrera GTs
and I'm sure they do
they start doing it
and they will give
the owner
the car back with
zero miles
so it's effectively
I mean they're
rebuilding the car
from the ground
a nut and bolt
which isn't quite
a Resta mod
but it's
some people aren't
even into that
sort of thing
it's a bit of an interesting
that's
such an important
revenue stream
isn't it
if you could
start the Ferrari
class-ish
processes
it just
that's the case
don't take class-ish
no you'll get
sorry
no you want the comments
but
it's
if you've got customers
with those cars
you are the people
that built them
and that's where
a lot of the
specialists come out from
is that
they built
they work for
the manufacturer
in the first place
and then they go and
set up on their own
and they go yeah I know
we knew that problem
when we built it
so I know how to fix it
it's
but yeah
it will add to the
value of the car
and you've got
that provenance
but then there's also
in the years
of when Porsche
weren't doing that
there's specialists
and the same for any brand
who are also
able to do it
to the same
standard they just
can't put certificate
on it to say
it was done again
at the factory
but that's
you know is that a
that's a
I mean some people
opt for
very interesting specs
to recommission
their cars
yeah I'm not sure
about having them
recommissioned of
in a different spec
in a different spec
that's what a lot of people
are doing
full Alcantara interiors
in a wild colour
yeah that I'm not
I think it should be
back to the original
build spec
but with the modern tyres
and
yeah the modern
modern tyres is
another thing
what would we like
to see
someone attempt
Reste Mazda
it's getting
narrower and narrower
I mean the one I'm looking
forward to driving the most
having seen it
is the
Encore
Esprit as one
I don't think you're
fitting it
unfortunately
it's very quick
it's very cool
a bit you know
the Esprit V8
that it's based on
was a very
poster car
yeah for me
it's a very cool thing
and the detailing
and that's
goes back to
all of these
Reste Mazda
or whatever we're
calling them
it's the detailing
that
is that equally
as impressive
of how the overall
thing looks
or how it's going to drive
how heavy it drives
as well as it looks
it does look
really
sort of
that small footprint
quite agile
but yeah that's
yeah I saw that
at Bista
a few weekends
for the first time
and having not been
so sure about it
from
just seeing photos
of it
as you say
the detail
when you see it
that kind of
does make it
and there's some clever
design bits on there
to solve
some of the problems
of the original
from overheating
and from
rain drops falling on you
and all of that stuff
so that's
that's what it should do
that's done its job
hmm
I mean cars like
the M3 Touring
the E46
I love that
kind of thing
whether it's a
Resse model
or not I don't know
but
and manual conversions
in cars that
never had manual
so E60 M5s
now are being
you know
manual converted
and little tweaks here and there
to make them more
would you want a manual
put into your
C63
well people are doing that
a few people have done that now
and yeah
I think it sounds
like a great idea to me
yeah Darryl was doing that
with the
everything in 3d
everything in power
when he was doing it
with the CSLs
and that was a great
great thing
when I first drove
drove that
and it was a
straightforward
manual conversion
for
for that
and it was
felt kind of wrong
because again
it's sort of it's
not original
so is this
but as a driving experience
it was
yeah just little tweaks
that you would want
that you would have wanted
from factory
that realistically
can't do yourself
well there's always periods
of car development
isn't there where
one piece of tech
is lagging behind
and you always get a sense
that other bits
have been held back
because of this one
crucial piece of tech
yeah
and if you can then
put the modern version
of that in
you can then lift
everything up
exactly
as it originally designed for
and even just
using my car as an example
the cooling
is rubbish
in my car
so if you can throw a load
of modern cooling tech
at that
and a manual gearbox
and keep it all
very authentic
and sort of within
the original design
well they must say
with manual gearbox
there's a reason there's not
many mistakes
with manual pedals
out there
what about your Clio
your Gristo model
I was just thinking
that was a great idea
it's parked outside
yeah but then
I was just trying to work out
is there a threshold
for kind of how
modern
a car
gets
where actually
you don't want to
and I think that sort of
that E46
M3
touring is
quite a good example
because it's almost like
well hang on a minute
what would you really
want to
change
about this
what is the sort of
well that era of
BMW brakes
yes
yeah absolutely
yeah but you're into
very small
things aren't you
sort of in terms of
like I said obviously
steering
fine sort of
but it's not a
wholesale
sort of
reimagining
of that car
because actually
you're sort of there
already
you're nearing
I suppose what
people start to think of
as peak car
so actually
is it
kind of
you know
what you want to
modernise
from a
safety
or kind of
performance aspect
is
is narrowing
which is what the
Tolman cars are
with the 205 GTI
yeah it's just
those incremental
updates
that just make it
more usable
more enjoyable
more reliable
experience
it's on the
bottom when you want to
drive it when time is
tight isn't it
and rocketeer
as well
well rocketeer
and also analog
at least isn't it
it's picking those
whether it's menu items
just for usability
or enough
can you do me a car
and strip it down
and stuff
it's
and they're more
on the modified
side
but restoring
at the same time
or replacing
because the upgrades aren't
from my max power days
of
we just put more power
on it
bigger wheels and bigger
brakes will make it worse
it's
well this is a weak point
so what we're putting on
it's very sympathetic
it's sympathetic
it's in character of
what maybe the OEM
would have done
at the time
and it doesn't take away
the character of the car
it just improves
how it drives
maybe how it looks
you know a few things
that legislation
have stopped the OEM
from doing
but I think
the analogue of these
stuff
but Yusuf
seems to
sort of pour every last penny
he has
into his car
I think he spent
more than Lotus did
on the entire project
but
when you're talking about it
and what the possibilities are
you think well yeah
why wouldn't you
because you can see
how you can just
get drawn into
well if you've got that off
you might as well do this
and while that's
been done
you might as well do this
which is what
has always been
the restoration repair
sort of
financial black hole
has been
but now there's more options
to
there's an upgrade for this
and there's a
do you want the later
cooling pack
so the air conditioning
works
and bits and pieces like that
or bits of trim
do you want
these seats always collapse
so we've found a way
of rebuilding them
so they won't collapse
and they'll be more comfortable
and or lowering the seat height
that was
particularly in the
late 90's early 90's
when
a lot of those hot hatches
and stuff were coming along
but they were based on
cars that were
having to meet new legislation
all the time
and you ended up sitting
more and more on a bar stop
can you just lower the seat
and all those bits
those sympathetic modifications
rather than
whole setup
but yeah would you do anything
with your
Clio?
No
I don't think I would
because
well yeah even that
kind of feels kind of
move it alone
yeah I don't think
there really is
because it's a
slippery slope then
of Tokyo
and I do like
originality
as well
sort of
there's something
fun about it and there's
refreshing it
definitely that was
last year
it had a proper
going through
and all the bits that needed just
refreshing
it was great
being sported
did all that
and that was all it needed
there was nothing
sort of
upgraded to it
and you put the trophy down
it's like no
it just doesn't
need it
not for
certainly the way I use that
that car which is
my everyday car
it's fun
and
you know
my escort
which one day
all cool
that'll be much more
a rest day
because it's going EFI
and all that sort of thing
but
does
being an owner of that
era of escort
that Mark II escort
and
the longer you leave it
a bit of a chon with his free
more stuff comes along
I think
oh actually I was thinking this
but now you can do that
is
is that the excuse
of why it's not done
or
no it's not
let's just wait for the engine
to come on Dave
and fill it
and
yeah
life gets in the way basically
with that
but
and that's a
it's slightly different as well
because it's competition cars
so
it's being
built to go
go rallying in it
really but
yeah
it'll be an interesting
thing once it's done
because of the
the mo-tech stuff going on
it to make it
sort of because it's a rally car
so it's road registered
and all that
so that
I can actually sort of take it out
for a
quick blast as well as
yeah competing in it
so
yeah it'll be interesting
a dead line for that
has long gone
like
two years ago
in the school of
Dickie's
column
final question then
which you have to pick
one
rest day mod
blimey
you could either driven it
or
well I haven't driven any so
so you've got an easier task
hmm yeah
Henry's got to pick between
his favourite child
I mean this thing of DLS
is a
is a mad
yeah
is a mad thing
it
it sounds incredible
just from
my perspective
it looks and sounds amazing
I've only heard good things
about it
and I know
the standard to which
thing is a
built
it's like
they're the sort of the
Pagani level of
rest of mods aren't they
so
I think that would probably
be my pick but
I'll think of another one
as we start recording so
I mean
I think
so there was
I've always thinks like
every time I drive one of those
that's
just so much fun
the eagle low drag
the first time I ever saw
that before it was built
because I had this
the show up
I went to drive the very first
eagle special
and they had that
and that was just sort of
fell in love with the
look of that
but I think
if my numbers came up
probably
workshop 5001
there's something about their
cars
which
just
they're so subtle
but so nicely done
and each one's different
and
the spokes so they're all
they almost fall outside of
that rest of the
category because there's not a
kind of
there's not a
one that like
saying or where you go
or this is the
classic or this is the
turbo
study or whatever
but they've always
felt pretty
special to me
every time I've seen one
and just something
something really really
appeals to me
if we're going for that full on
sort of
all the money
stuff
that is all the money
I think it is
when you start going down that
bespoke
bespoke route
that seems to
be a good place to end on
where you've spent all the money
exactly
that's why the rest of course
not done
Sam, Henry
thank you very much
everyone else for listening
we will see you next time
thank you
About this episode
Restomods get unpacked from first principles: what counts as a restomod, why they sell, and where the line is between preserving character and going too far. The discussion traces “where it all began” through early classic-car modernization and names like Eagle and Singer, then explains how parts catalogs, bespoke builds, and packaged upgrades made the trend more accessible. Along the way, they debate taste (including a Ferrari that divides opinions), talk Group B/Group A rally fantasies, and weigh modern tech, manual swaps, and legislation.
In this episode of the evo podcast, Henry Catchpole joins Stuart Gallagher and Sam Jenkins to the discuss everything restomods. We've seen a huge uptick in new offerings in recent years, but is it all for the better?
